just purchased this small kw/ks watch from a antique store, the outer cover is marked 14c and a serial number, the movement cover is marked couvre and the same serial number. There are no hallmarks on the watch. I also believe the dial is gold ?
Firstly can anyone give me info regarding the lack of hallmarks, as to the posibility this is gold, and secondly can anyone give me info on the year and maker of this watch ?
Thanks in advance,
Bill

dial

cover with 14c hard to make out, but there

Bill

A gracious little 'golden lady' !

Without marks all I say is with a portion of uncertainty but very likely better than saying nothing.
Yes the case is made of gold; the inner lid is made of gilded copper (=cuivre). The dial can be gold or gilded. The movement is a swiss cylinder escapement ca 1850 - 1870. It has up to 10 jewels (depends on the not visible jewels on the escape wheel finger and on the dial plate.
It is a movement that was made over a longer time period and with small variations by many makers, a manufature can not be named. The missing of marks is often found at those days on swiss watches.
The watch was very likely made for the british or US market (metal dial and the style of the hands)
One questionable thing is the dial. I can see the screws but no dial feetso scewed from the front, fitted with a small rim over the dial plate or glued. It may be original, a repair in time or a newer combination of a movement and a dial from the same time period. But it does not matter: often you can find runners with bent and broken cases or destroyed enamel dials, on the other hand there are beautiful gold cases with non running movements. I think not many like to repair a broken lady size cylinder movement and only with luck you can find fitting parts if needed.

Regards,
Gerald

Gerald,
Thanks for the info, I am going to post a little clearer image of the dial and case 14c mark. You believe this is from the 1850-1870 era, the oldest watch I own. Hopefully if I can wind it it will not need repair. If one looks closely at the dial side you will notice at the 12 o'clock a break in the outer ring, at 1 o'clock there is a very small screw, do not know what it is holding, and at about 3 o'clock another break in the ring, any ideas about what they are ?, keeping in mind I do not have any knowledge or ambition to take these things apart, I know my limitations, and stay within them. Just an interesting collecting ability.
Thanks,
Bill

dial

The screw holds the spring for the outer back lid.

Gerald